The relationship between mathematical creativity (MC) and mathematical problem-solving performance (MP) has often been studied but the causal relation between these two constructs has yet to be clearly reported. The main purpose of this study was to define the causal relationship between MC and MP. Data from a representative sample of 480…

Debate can be used instructionally as a systematic, orderly procedure for resolving conflicts and teaching students the importance of judgments adequately supported by facts. (MM)

This note discusses a possible method for teaching an example of problem solving to intermediate grade students. Under the guidance of the instructor, students may see the links between the 'guess' method and the arithmetic operation 'strings'. This may help enhance their logical thinking ability as well as arithmetic operation skills. For…

Presents a six-step problem-solving process which the author has used to present creative science investigations to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. (Author/SJL)

The effects of two instructional methods on the questioning strategies of 40 10- to 12-year-old learning disabled children were investigated. Results indicated that both the question formulation instruction and the cognitive modeling/self-verbalization instruction were effective in improving their questioning concerning novel problems. (Author/DB)

The thinking-out-loud procedure provides teachers with an excellent mechanism for collecting information about students' thought processes and affective states during problem solving. Mathematics teachers can implement this process by modeling it during whole-class problem-solving sessions, proceeding slowly and encouragingly, working with small…

Intermediate and junior high school students became very involved with this learning activity which involved detective work. Working in groups, students had to solve a riddle based on a sequence of clues. The answer to each set of clues was either a person, an event, or a place. (RM)

Geared to intermediate-grade classroom teachers, a general framework for solving problems is promoted that has the following steps: (1) Get to know the problem, (2) Choose what to do, (3) Do it, and (4) Look back. Ways of using the framework and suggestions for problem-solving resources are included. (MP)

Sixty fifth-grade students were randomly assigned to a group to be trained in solving Inhelder and Piaget's pendulum problem by Siegler's method or to a control group. A significant training effect was found. A weak transfer effect was found, but delayed performance showed no training effect. (Author/BW)

Investigates the effects of an instructional intervention derived from the Garofalo and Lester cognitive-metacognitive framework on the problem-solving performance of year six students with different ability levels. Concludes that there was significant improvement in problem-solving performance for the experimental class compared to the control…

Describes a typical fifth-grade mathematics lesson as taught in a Japanese elementary school, followed by a reflective commentary focused on problem solving, using manipulative aids, and multiple solutions. (ASK)

The use of a visual representation in learning about proportional relations was studied, examining students' understandings of the invariance of a multiplicative relation on both sides of a proportion equation and the invariance of the structural relations that exist in different semantic types of proportion problems. Subjects were 49 high-ability…

This report investigated to what extent a curriculum designed to actively teach critical thinking skills resulted in students utilizing higher-order thinking skills (e.g., analysis, synthesis and evaluation). An intervention strategy was designed for a sixth grade class located in a diverse suburban community in northern Illinois. The intervention…

Examined how elementary students in three classes using different teaching strategies, presented with discrepant event problems in science, begin the problem-solving process by exploration of the problem space. Because of the constraints imposed by each teaching strategy, none of those used was considered entirely satisfactory. Appendix contains…

Describes a paradigm for generating a variety of problem situations in middle school mathematics, ranging from combining a single mathematical concept or process with a single context, to combining multiple concepts or processes with multiple contexts. Offers several illustrative examples. (SR)